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DeSimone JG, DeGroote LW, MacKenzie SA, Owen JC, Patterson AJ, Cohen EB. Persistent species relationships characterize migrating bird communities across stopover sites and seasons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322063121. [PMID: 39136989 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322063121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Global migrations of diverse animal species often converge along the same routes, bringing together seasonal assemblages of animals that may compete, prey on each other, and share information or pathogens. These interspecific interactions, when energetic demands are high and the time to complete journeys is short, may influence survival, migratory success, stopover ecology, and migratory routes. Numerous accounts suggest that interspecific co-migrations are globally distributed in aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial systems, although the study of migration to date has rarely investigated species interactions among migrating animals. Here, we test the hypothesis that migrating animals are communities engaged in networks of ecological interactions. We leverage over half a million records of 50 bird species from five bird banding sites collected over 8 to 23 y to test for species associations using social network analyses. We find strong support for persistent species relationships across sites and between spring and fall migration. These relationships may be ecologically meaningful: They are often stronger among phylogenetically related species with similar foraging behaviors and nonbreeding ranges even after accounting for the nonsocial contributions to associations, including overlap in migration timing and habitat use. While interspecific interactions could result in costly competition or beneficial information exchange, we find that relationships are largely positive, suggesting limited competitive exclusion at the scale of a banding station during migratory stopovers. Our findings support an understanding of animal migrations that consist of networked communities rather than random assemblages of independently migrating species, encouraging future studies of the nature and consequences of co-migrant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joely G DeSimone
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD 21532
| | - Lucas W DeGroote
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD 21532
- Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rector, PA 15677
| | - Stuart A MacKenzie
- Long Point Bird Observatory, Birds Canada, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
| | - Jennifer C Owen
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
- Michigan State Bird Observatory, East Lansing, MI 48823
| | | | - Emily B Cohen
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD 21532
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Conklin JR, Verkuil YI, Lefebvre MJM, Battley PF, Bom RA, Gill RE, Hassell CJ, Ten Horn J, Ruthrauff DR, Tibbitts TL, Tomkovich PS, Warnock N, Piersma T, Fontaine MC. High dispersal ability versus migratory traditions: Fine-scale population structure and post-glacial colonisation in bar-tailed godwits. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17452. [PMID: 38970373 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
In migratory animals, high mobility may reduce population structure through increased dispersal and enable adaptive responses to environmental change, whereas rigid migratory routines predict low dispersal, increased structure, and limited flexibility to respond to change. We explore the global population structure and phylogeographic history of the bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica, a migratory shorebird known for making the longest non-stop flights of any landbird. Using nextRAD sequencing of 14,318 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and scenario-testing in an Approximate Bayesian Computation framework, we infer that bar-tailed godwits existed in two main lineages at the last glacial maximum, when much of their present-day breeding range persisted in a vast, unglaciated Siberian-Beringian refugium, followed by admixture of these lineages in the eastern Palearctic. Subsequently, population structure developed at both longitudinal extremes: in the east, a genetic cline exists across latitude in the Alaska breeding range of subspecies L. l. baueri; in the west, one lineage diversified into three extant subspecies L. l. lapponica, taymyrensis, and yamalensis, the former two of which migrate through previously glaciated western Europe. In the global range of this long-distance migrant, we found evidence of both (1) fidelity to rigid behavioural routines promoting fine-scale geographic population structure (in the east) and (2) flexibility to colonise recently available migratory flyways and non-breeding areas (in the west). Our results suggest that cultural traditions in highly mobile vertebrates can override the expected effects of high dispersal ability on population structure, and provide insights for the evolution and flexibility of some of the world's longest migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse R Conklin
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne I Verkuil
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Phil F Battley
- Zoology and Ecology Group, School of Food Technology and Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Roeland A Bom
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Robert E Gill
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | | | - Job Ten Horn
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | | | - T Lee Tibbitts
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Pavel S Tomkovich
- Zoological Museum, Moscow MV Lomonosov State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nils Warnock
- Audubon Canyon Ranch, Cypress Grove Research Center, Marshall, California, USA
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Michaël C Fontaine
- MiVEGEC, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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3
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Chan YC, Kormann UG, Witczak S, Scherler P, Grüebler MU. Ontogeny of migration destination, route and timing in a partially migratory bird. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39072797 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
In migratory animals, the developmental period from inexperienced juveniles to breeding adults could be a key life stage in shaping population migration patterns. Nevertheless, the development of migration routines in early life remains underexplored. While age-related changes in migration routes and timing have been described in obligate migrants, most investigations into the ontogeny of partial migrants only focused on age-dependency of migration as a binary tactic (migrant or resident), and variations in routes and timing among individuals classified as 'migrants' is rarely considered. To fill this gap, we study the ontogeny of migration destination, route and timing in a partially migratory red kite (Milvus milvus) population. Using an extensive GPS-tracking dataset (292 fledglings and 38 adults, with 1-5 migrations tracked per individual), we studied how nine different migration characteristics changed with age and breeding status in migrant individuals, many of which become resident later in life. Individuals departed later from and arrived earlier at the breeding areas as they aged, resulting in a gradual prolongation of stay in the breeding area by 2 months from the first to the fifth migration. Individuals delayed southward migration in the year prior to territory acquirement, and they further delayed it after occupying a territory. Migration routes became more direct with age. Individuals were highly faithful to their wintering site. Migration distance shortened only slightly with age and was more similar among siblings than among unrelated individuals. The large gradual changes in northward and southward migrations suggest a high degree of plasticity in temporal characteristics during the developmental window. However, the high wintering site fidelity points towards large benefits of site familiarity, prompting spatial migratory plasticity to be expressed through a switch to residency. The contrasting patterns of trajectories of age-related changes between spatial and temporal migration characteristics might reflect different mechanisms underlying the expression of plasticity. Investigating such patterns among species along the entire spectrum of migration tactics would enable further understanding of the plastic responses exhibited by migratory species to rapid environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chi Chan
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Urs G Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Witczak
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Gunnarsson TG, Alves JA, Gilroy JJ, Þórisson B, Sutherland WJ, Potts PM, Gill JA. Movement of juvenile migratory birds from settlement to adulthood across the non-breeding range. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 38946701 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Among migratory vertebrates, high levels of fidelity to non-breeding sites during adulthood are common. If occupied sites vary in quality, strong site fidelity can have profound consequences for individual fitness and population demography. Given the prevalence of adult site fidelity, the regions of the non-breeding range to which juveniles first migrate, and the scale of any subsequent movements, are likely to be pivotal in shaping distributions and demographic processes across population ranges. However, inherent difficulties in tracking migratory individuals through early life mean that opportunities to quantify juvenile settlement and movements across non-breeding ranges, and the mechanisms involved, are extremely rare. Through long-term, range-wide resightings of hundreds of colour-marked individuals from their first migration to adulthood and the application of state-space models, we quantify levels of juvenile and adult regional-scale movements and distances at different life stages across the whole non-breeding distribution range in a migratory shorebird, the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa islandica). We show that the probability of individuals changing non-breeding regions (seven historical wintering regions spanning the Western Europe range) at all ages is very low (mean movement probability = 10.9% from first to subsequent winter, and 8.3% from first adult winter to later winters). Movement between regions was also low between autumn and winter of the same year for both juveniles (mean movement probability = 17.0%) and adults (10.4%). The great majority of non-breeding movements from the first autumn to adulthood were within regions and less than 100 km. The scarcity of regional-scale non-breeding movements from the first autumn to adulthood means that the factors influencing where juveniles settle will be key determinants of non-breeding distributions and of the rate and direction of changes in distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José A Alves
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, Iceland
- Department of Biology & CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - James J Gilroy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Böðvar Þórisson
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, Iceland
| | | | | | - Jennifer A Gill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Nickel AK, Campana SE, Ólafsdóttir GÁ. Temperature and body size affect movement of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) at nearshore nurseries. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38924061 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Seasonal migrations of marine fish between shallow summer feeding habitats and deep overwintering grounds are driven by fluctuations in the biotic and abiotic environment as well as by changes in the internal state. Ontogenetic shifts in physiology and metabolism affect the response to environmental drivers and may lead to changes in migration timing and propensity. In this study, we investigated the effect of temperature and body size on migration timing and depth distribution in acoustically tagged Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, and saithe, Pollachius virens, during the period of seasonal migration from shallow summer habitats. The results from our study revealed a wide range of horizontal and vertical distribution of age 1 and 2 G. morhua within the fjord. Larger G. morhua inhabited deeper, cooler waters than smaller juveniles, likely reflecting size-dependent thermal preferences and predation pressure. Conversely, juvenile P. virens occupied primarily shallow waters close to land. The variation in depth distribution of G. morhua was mainly explained by body size and not, against our predictions, by water temperature. Conversely, the dispersal from the in-fjord habitats occurred when water temperatures were high, suggesting that seasonal temperature fluctuations can trigger the migration timing of P. virens and larger G. morhua from summer habitats. Partial migration of small juvenile G. morhua from in-fjord foraging grounds, likely influenced by individual body condition, suggested seasonal migration as a flexible strategy that individuals may use to reduce predation and energetic expenditure. Predation mortality rates of tagged juveniles were higher than previously suggested and are the first robust predation mortality rates for juvenile G. morhua and P. virens estimated based on acoustic transmitters with acidity sensors. The results have relevance for climate-informed marine spatial planning as under the scenario of increasing ocean temperatures, increasing summer temperatures may reduce the juveniles' resource utilization in the shallow summer nurseries, resulting in lower growth rates, increased predation pressure, and lower chances of juvenile winter survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja K Nickel
- University of Iceland, Research Centre of the Westfjords, Bolungarvík, Iceland
| | - Steven E Campana
- University of Iceland, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Reykjavík, Iceland
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Dufour P, Sayol F, Cooke R, Blackburn TM, Gallien L, Griesser M, Steinbauer MJ, Faurby S. The importance of migratory drop-off for island colonization in birds. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232926. [PMID: 38628117 PMCID: PMC11021927 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Seasonal migration is an underappreciated driver of animal diversification. Changes in migratory behaviour may favour the establishment of sedentary founder populations and promote speciation if there is sufficient reproductive isolation between sedentary and migratory populations. From a systematic literature review, we here quantify the role of migratory drop-off-the loss of migratory behaviour-in promoting speciation in birds on islands. We identify at least 157 independent colonization events likely initiated by migratory species that led to speciation, including 44 cases among recently extinct species. By comparing, for all islands, the proportion of island endemic species that derived from migratory drop-off with the proportion of migratory species among potential colonizers, we showed that seasonal migration has a larger effect on island endemic richness than direct dispersal. We also found that the role of migration in island colonization increases with the geographic isolation of islands. Furthermore, the success of speciation events depends in part on species biogeographic and ecological factors, here positively associated with greater range size and larger flock sizes. These results highlight the importance of shifts in migratory behaviour in the speciation process and calls for greater consideration of migratory drop-off in the biogeographic distribution of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dufour
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ferran Sayol
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rob Cooke
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Tim M. Blackburn
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Laure Gallien
- LECA, CNRS, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry, France
| | - Michael Griesser
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Manuel J. Steinbauer
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) & Bayreuth Center of Sport Science (BaySpo), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Søren Faurby
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Green DA, Polidori S, Stratton SM. Modular switches shift monarch butterfly migratory flight behavior at their Mexican overwintering sites. iScience 2024; 27:109063. [PMID: 38420583 PMCID: PMC10901092 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Eastern North American migratory monarch butterflies exhibit migratory behavioral states in fall and spring characterized by sun-dependent oriented flight. However, it is unclear how monarchs transition between these behavioral states at their overwintering site. Using a modified Mouritsen-Frost flight simulator, we confirm individual directionality and compass-based orientation (leading to group orientation) in fall migrants, and also uncover sustained flight propensity and direction-based flight reinforcement as distinctly migratory behavioral traits. By testing monarchs at their Mexican overwintering sites, we show that overwintering monarchs show reduced propensity for sustained flight and lose individual directionality, leading to the loss of group-level orientation. Overwintering fliers orient axially in a time-of-day dependent manner, which may indicate local versus long-distance directional heading. These results support a model of migratory flight behavior in which modular, state-dependent switches for flight propensity and orientation control are highly dynamic and are controlled in season- and location-dependent manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delbert A. Green
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sean Polidori
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Samuel M. Stratton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Pierce AK, Yanco SW, Wunder MB. Seasonal migration alters energetic trade-off optimization and shapes life history. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14392. [PMID: 38400796 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Trade-offs between current and future reproduction manifest as a set of co-varying life history and metabolic traits, collectively referred to as 'pace of life' (POL). Seasonal migration modulates environmental dynamics and putatively affects POL, however, the mechanisms by which migratory behaviour shapes POL remain unclear. We explored how migratory behaviour interacts with environmental and metabolic dynamics to shape POL. Using an individual-based model of movement and metabolism, we compared fitness-optimized trade-offs among migration strategies. We found annual experienced seasonality modulated by migratory movements and distance between end-points primarily drove POL differentiation through developmental and migration phenology trade-offs. Similarly, our analysis of empirically estimated metabolic data from 265 bird species suggested seasonal niche tracking and migration distance interact to drive POL. We show multiple viable life-history strategies are conducive to a migratory lifestyle. Overall, our findings suggest metabolism mediates complex interactions between behaviour, environment and life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison K Pierce
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Scott W Yanco
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael B Wunder
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
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Vázquez-López M, Ramírez-Barrera SM, Terrones-Ramírez AK, Robles-Bello SM, Nieto-Montes de Oca A, Ruegg K, Hernández-Baños BE. Biogeographic factors contributing to the diversification of Euphoniinae (Aves, Passeriformes, Fringillidae): a phylogenetic and ancestral areas analysis. Zookeys 2024; 1188:169-195. [PMID: 38230381 PMCID: PMC10790576 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1188.107047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Factors such as the Andean uplift, Isthmus of Panama, and climate changes have influenced bird diversity in the Neotropical region. Studying bird species that are widespread in Neotropical highlands and lowlands can help us understand the impact of these factors on taxa diversification. Our main objectives were to determine the biogeographic factors that contributed to the diversification of Euphoniinae and re-evaluate their phylogenetic relationships. The nextRAD and mitochondrial data were utilized to construct phylogenies. The ancestral distribution range was then estimated using a time-calibrated phylogeny, current species ranges, and neotropical regionalization. The phylogenies revealed two main Euphoniinae clades, Chlorophonia and Euphonia, similar to previous findings. Furthermore, each genus has distinctive subclades corresponding to morphology and geography. The biogeographic results suggest that the Andean uplift and the establishment of the western Amazon drove the vicariance of Chlorophonia and Euphonia during the Miocene. The Chlorophonia lineage originated in the Andes mountains and spread to Central America and the Mesoamerican highlands after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. Meanwhile, the ancestral area of Euphonia was the Amazonas, from which it spread to trans-Andean areas during the Pliocene and Pleistocene due to the separation of the west lowlands from Amazonas due to the Northern Andean uplift. Chlorophonia and Euphonia species migrated to the Atlantic Forest during the Pleistocene through corridors from the East Andean Humid Forest and Amazonas. These two genera had Caribbean invasions with distinct geographic origins and ages. Finally, we suggested taxonomic changes in the genus Euphonia based on the study's phylogenetic, morphological, and biogeographic findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Vázquez-López
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra M. Ramírez-Barrera
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alondra K. Terrones-Ramírez
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sahid M. Robles-Bello
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Adrián Nieto-Montes de Oca
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Kristen Ruegg
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Blanca E. Hernández-Baños
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Chan YC, Chan DTC, Tibbitts TL, Hassell CJ, Piersma T. Site fidelity of migratory shorebirds facing habitat deterioration: insights from satellite tracking and mark-resighting. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:79. [PMID: 38129912 PMCID: PMC10740345 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00443-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Site fidelity, the tendency to return to a previously visited site, is commonly observed in migratory birds. This behaviour would be advantageous if birds returning to the same site, benefit from their previous knowledge about local resources. However, when habitat quality declines at a site over time, birds with lower site fidelity might benefit from a tendency to move to sites with better habitats. As a first step towards understanding the influence of site fidelity on how animals cope with habitat deterioration, here we describe site fidelity variation in two species of sympatric migratory shorebirds (Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica and Great Knots Calidris tenuirostris). Both species are being impacted by the rapid loss and deterioration of intertidal habitats in the Yellow Sea where they fuel up during their annual long-distance migrations. METHODS Using satellite tracking and mark-resighting data, we measured site fidelity in the non-breeding (austral summer) and migration periods, during which both species live and co-occur in Northwest Australia and the Yellow Sea, respectively. RESULTS Site fidelity was generally high in both species, with the majority of individuals using only one site during the non-breeding season and revisiting the same sites during migration. Nevertheless, Great Knots did exhibit lower site fidelity than Bar-tailed Godwits in both Northwest Australia and the Yellow Sea across data types. CONCLUSIONS Great Knots encountered substantial habitat deterioration just before and during our study period but show the same rate of decline in population size and individual survival as the less habitat-impacted Bar-tailed Godwits. This suggests that the lower site fidelity of Great Knots might have helped them to cope with the habitat changes. Future studies on movement patterns and their consequences under different environmental conditions by individuals with different degrees of site fidelity could help broaden our understanding of how species might react to, and recover from, local habitat deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chi Chan
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands.
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - David Tsz Chung Chan
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - T Lee Tibbitts
- Alaska Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Chris J Hassell
- Global Flyway Network, PO Box 3089, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
- Australasian Wader Studies Group, PO Box 3089, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Global Flyway Network, PO Box 3089, Broome, WA, 6725, Australia
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science and Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Zaailand 110, 8911 BN, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Center for East Asian-Australasian Flyway Studies, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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11
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Barr K, Bossu CM, Bay RA, Anderson EC, Belthoff J, Trulio LA, Chromczak D, Wisinski CL, Smith TB, Ruegg KC. Genetic and environmental drivers of migratory behavior in western burrowing owls and implications for conservation and management. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1889-1900. [PMID: 38143900 PMCID: PMC10739168 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Migration is driven by a combination of environmental and genetic factors, but many questions remain about those drivers. Potential interactions between genetic and environmental variants associated with different migratory phenotypes are rarely the focus of study. We pair low coverage whole genome resequencing with a de novo genome assembly to examine population structure, inbreeding, and the environmental factors associated with genetic differentiation between migratory and resident breeding phenotypes in a species of conservation concern, the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea). Our analyses reveal a dichotomy in gene flow depending on whether the population is resident or migratory, with the former being genetically structured and the latter exhibiting no signs of structure. Among resident populations, we observed significantly higher genetic differentiation, significant isolation-by-distance, and significantly elevated inbreeding. Among migratory breeding groups, on the other hand, we observed lower genetic differentiation, no isolation-by-distance, and substantially lower inbreeding. Using genotype-environment association analysis, we find significant evidence for relationships between migratory phenotypes (i.e., migrant versus resident) and environmental variation associated with cold temperatures during the winter and barren, open habitats. In the regions of the genome most differentiated between migrants and residents, we find significant enrichment for genes associated with the metabolism of fats. This may be linked to the increased pressure on migrants to process and store fats more efficiently in preparation for and during migration. Our results provide a significant contribution toward understanding the evolution of migratory behavior and vital insight into ongoing conservation and management efforts for the western burrowing owl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Barr
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Christen M. Bossu
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Rachael A. Bay
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Eric C. Anderson
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science CenterNational Marine Fisheries ServiceSanta CruzCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Jim Belthoff
- Raptor Research Center and Department of Biological SciencesBoise State UniversityBoiseIdahoUSA
| | - Lynne A. Trulio
- Department of Environmental StudiesSan José State UniversitySan JoseCaliforniaUSA
| | - Debra Chromczak
- Burrowing Owl Researcher & ConsultantRiegelsvillePennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Thomas B. Smith
- Center for Tropical ResearchInstitute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kristen C. Ruegg
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
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12
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Weeks TL, Betts MG, Pfeifer M, Wolf C, Banks-Leite C, Barbaro L, Barlow J, Cerezo A, Kennedy CM, Kormann UG, Marsh CJ, Olivier PI, Phalan BT, Possingham HP, Wood EM, Tobias JA. Climate-driven variation in dispersal ability predicts responses to forest fragmentation in birds. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1079-1091. [PMID: 37248334 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02077-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Species sensitivity to forest fragmentation varies latitudinally, peaking in the tropics. A prominent explanation for this pattern is that historical landscape disturbance at higher latitudes has removed fragmentation-sensitive species or promoted the evolution of more resilient survivors. However, it is unclear whether this so-called extinction filter is the dominant driver of geographic variation in fragmentation sensitivity, particularly because climatic factors may also cause latitudinal gradients in dispersal ability, a key trait mediating sensitivity to habitat fragmentation. Here we combine field survey data with a morphological proxy for avian dispersal ability (hand-wing index) to assess responses to forest fragmentation in 1,034 bird species worldwide. We find that fragmentation sensitivity is strongly predicted by dispersal limitation and that other factors-latitude, body mass and historical disturbance events-have relatively limited explanatory power after accounting for species differences in dispersal. We also show that variation in dispersal ability is only weakly predicted by historical disturbance and more strongly associated with intra-annual temperature fluctuations (seasonality). Our results suggest that climatic factors play a dominant role in driving global variation in the impacts of forest fragmentation, emphasizing the need for more nuanced environmental policies that take into account local context and associated species traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Weeks
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, London, UK.
| | - Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | | | - Luc Barbaro
- Dynafor, University of Toulouse, INRAE, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- CESCO, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne-University, Paris, France
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environmental Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Alexis Cerezo
- Foundation for Ecodevelopment and Conservation (FUNDAECO), Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Christina M Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Urs G Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Charles J Marsh
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, and Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pieter I Olivier
- M.A.P Scientific Services, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Benjamin T Phalan
- Centre for Conservation of Atlantic Forest Birds, Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eric M Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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13
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Fattorini N, Costanzo A, Romano A, Rubolini D, Baillie S, Bairlein F, Spina F, Ambrosini R. Eco-evolutionary drivers of avian migratory connectivity. Ecol Lett 2023. [PMID: 37125435 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Migratory connectivity, reflecting the extent by which migrants tend to maintain their reciprocal positions in seasonal ranges, can assist in the conservation and management of mobile species, yet relevant drivers remain unclear. Taking advantage of an exceptionally large (~150,000 individuals, 83 species) and more-than-a-century-long dataset of bird ringing encounters, we investigated eco-evolutionary drivers of migratory connectivity in both short- and long-distance Afro-Palearctic migratory birds. Connectivity was strongly associated with geographical proxies of migration costs and was weakly influenced by biological traits and phylogeny, suggesting the evolutionary lability of migratory behaviour. The large intraspecific variability in avian migration strategies, through which most species geographically split into distinct migratory populations, explained why most of them were significantly connected. By unravelling key determinants of migratory connectivity, our study improves knowledge about the resilience of avian migrants to ecological perturbations, providing a critical tool to inform transboundary conservation and management strategies at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Fattorini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque, IRSA-CNR, Brugherio, Italy
| | | | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Fernando Spina
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
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14
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Chu JJ, Claramunt S. Determinants of natal dispersal distances in North American birds. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9789. [PMID: 36789345 PMCID: PMC9909001 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal-the movement from birth site to first breeding site-determines demographic and population genetic dynamics and has important consequences for ecological and evolutionary processes. Recent work suggested that one of the main factors determining natal dispersal distances is the cost of locomotion. We evaluated this hypothesis using band recovery data to estimate natal dispersal distances for 50 North American bird species. We then analyzed the relationships between dispersal distances and a suite of morphological and ecological predictors, including proxies for the cost of locomotion (flight efficiency), using phylogenetic regression models. We found that flight efficiency, population size, and habitat influence natal dispersal distances. We discuss how the effects of population size and habitat can also be related to mobility and locomotion. Our findings are consistent with a predominant effect of adaptations for mobility on dispersal distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J. Chu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Santiago Claramunt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada,Department of Natural HistoryRoyal Ontario MuseumTorontoOntarioCanada
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15
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Silber KM, Mohankumar NM, Hefley TJ, Boyle WA. Emigration and survival correlate with different precipitation metrics throughout a grassland songbird's annual cycle. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katy M. Silber
- Kansas State University, Division of Biology Manhattan KS 66506 USA
| | | | - Trevor J. Hefley
- Kansas State University, Department of Statistics Manhattan KS 66506 USA
| | - W. Alice Boyle
- Kansas State University, Division of Biology Manhattan KS 66506 USA
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16
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Rueda‐Hernández R, Bossu CM, Smith TB, Contina A, Canales del Castillo R, Ruegg K, Hernández‐Baños BE. Winter connectivity and leapfrog migration in a migratory passerine. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9769. [PMID: 36744079 PMCID: PMC9891943 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Technological advances in migratory tracking tools have revealed a remarkable diversity in migratory patterns. One such pattern is leapfrog migration, where individuals that breed further north migrate to locations further south. Here, we analyzed migration patterns in the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) using a genetic-based approach. We started by mapping patterns of genetic variation across geographic space (called a genoscape) using 386 individuals from 25 populations across the breeding range. We then genotyped an additional 230 samples from 31 migration stopover locations and 178 samples from 16 wintering locations to map patterns of migratory connectivity. Our analyses of genetic variation across the breeding range show the existence of four genetically distinct groups within the species: Eastern, Southwestern, Louisiana, and Central groups. Subsequent assignment of migrating and wintering birds to genetic groups illustrated that birds from the Central group migrated during the fall via western Mexico or southern Texas, spent the winter from northeastern Mexico to Panama, and migrated north via the Gulf Coast of Mexico. While Louisiana birds overlapped with Central birds on their spring migratory routes along the Gulf Coast, we found that Louisiana birds had a more restricted wintering distribution in the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. Further estimation of the straight-line distance from the predicted breeding location to the wintering location revealed that individuals sampled at lower winter latitudes traveled to greater distances (i.e., the predicted breeding area was further north; p > .001), confirming that these species exhibit a leapfrog migration pattern. Overall, these results demonstrate the utility of a genoscape-based approach for identifying range-wide patterns of migratory connectivity such as leapfrog migration with a high degree of clarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Rueda‐Hernández
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico CityMexico
| | | | - Thomas B. Smith
- Center for Tropical Research and Institute of the Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Andrea Contina
- Center for Tropical Research and Institute of the Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ricardo Canales del Castillo
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los GarzaUniversidad Autónoma de Nuevo LeónNuevo LeónMexico
| | | | - Blanca E. Hernández‐Baños
- Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico CityMexico
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17
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Kimmitt AA, Pegan TM, Jones AW, Wacker KS, Brennan CL, Hudon J, Kirchman JJ, Ruegg K, Benz BW, Herman R, Winger BM. Genetic evidence for widespread population size expansion in North American boreal birds prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221334. [PMID: 36695033 PMCID: PMC9874272 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleistocene climate cycles are well documented to have shaped contemporary species distributions and genetic diversity. Northward range expansions in response to deglaciation following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; approximately 21 000 years ago) are surmised to have led to population size expansions in terrestrial taxa and changes in seasonal migratory behaviour. Recent findings, however, suggest that some northern temperate populations may have been more stable than expected through the LGM. We modelled the demographic history of 19 co-distributed boreal-breeding North American bird species from full mitochondrial gene sets and species-specific molecular rates. We used these demographic reconstructions to test how species with different migratory strategies were affected by glacial cycles. Our results suggest that effective population sizes increased in response to Pleistocene deglaciation earlier than the LGM, whereas genetic diversity was maintained throughout the LGM despite shifts in geographical range. We conclude that glacial cycles prior to the LGM have most strongly shaped contemporary genetic diversity in these species. We did not find a relationship between historic population dynamics and migratory strategy, contributing to growing evidence that major switches in migratory strategy during the LGM are unnecessary to explain contemporary migratory patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail A. Kimmitt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Teresa M. Pegan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Andrew W. Jones
- Department of Ornithology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Kristen S. Wacker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Courtney L. Brennan
- Department of Ornithology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jocelyn Hudon
- Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, Alberta Canada, T5J 0G2
| | | | - Kristen Ruegg
- Biology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Brett W. Benz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Rachael Herman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Benjamin M. Winger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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18
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Global invasion history and native decline of the common starling: insights through genetics. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02982-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
AbstractFew invasive birds are as globally successful as the Common or European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Native to the Palearctic, the starling has been intentionally introduced to North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, enabling us to explore species traits that may contribute to its invasion success. Coupling the rich studies of life history and more recent explorations of genomic variation among invasions, we illustrate how eco-evolutionary dynamics shape the invasion success of this long-studied and widely distributed species. Especially informative is the comparison between Australian and North American invasions, because these populations colonized novel ranges concurrently and exhibit shared signals of selection despite distinct population histories. In this review, we describe population dynamics across the native and invasive ranges, identify putatively selected traits that may influence the starling’s spread, and suggest possible determinants of starling success world-wide. We also identify future opportunities to utilize this species as a model for avian invasion research, which will inform our understanding of species’ rapid evolution in response to environmental change.
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19
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Sokolovskis K, Lundberg M, Åkesson S, Willemoes M, Zhao T, Caballero-Lopez V, Bensch S. Migration direction in a songbird explained by two loci. Nat Commun 2023; 14:165. [PMID: 36631459 PMCID: PMC9834303 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35788-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory routes and remote wintering quarters in birds are often species and even population specific. It has been known for decades that songbirds mainly migrate solitarily, and that the migration direction is genetically controlled. Yet, the underlying genetic mechanisms remain unknown. To investigate the genetic basis of migration direction, we track genotyped willow warblers Phylloscopus trochilus from a migratory divide in Sweden, where South-West migrating, and South-East migrating subspecies form a hybrid swarm. We find evidence that migration direction follows a dominant inheritance pattern with epistatic interaction between two loci explaining 74% of variation. Consequently, most hybrids migrate similarly to one of the parental subspecies, and therefore do not suffer from the cost of following an inferior, intermediate route. This has significant implications for understanding the selection processes that maintain narrow migratory divides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristaps Sokolovskis
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Susanne Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mikkel Willemoes
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tianhao Zhao
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 5172.0664, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
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20
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Migratory Movements and Home Ranges of Geographically Distinct Wintering Populations of a Soaring Bird. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Migratory soaring birds exhibit spatiotemporal variation in their circannual movements. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain how different winter environments affect the circannual movement patterns of migratory soaring birds. Here, we investigated annual movement strategies of American white pelicans Pelecanus erythrorhynchos (hereafter, pelican) from two geographically distinct wintering grounds in the Southern and Northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We hypothesized that hourly movement distance and home range size of a soaring bird would differ between different geographic regions because of different thermals and wind conditions and resource availability. We calculated average and maximum hourly movement distances and seasonal home ranges of GPS-tracking pelicans. We then evaluated the effects of hour of the day, seasons, two wintering regions in the Southern and Northern GOM, human footprint index, and relative pelican abundance from Christmas Bird Count data on pelican hourly movement distances and seasonal home ranges using linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models. American white pelicans moved at greatest hourly distance near 1200 h at breeding grounds and during spring and autumn migrations. Both wintering populations in the Northern and Southern GOM exhibited similar hourly movement distances and seasonal home ranges at the shared breeding grounds and during spring and autumn migrations. However, pelicans wintering in the Southern GOM showed shorter hourly movement distances and smaller seasonal home ranges than those in the Northern GOM. Hourly movement distances and home ranges of pelicans increased with increasing human footprint index. Winter hourly movements and home ranges of pelicans differed between the Northern and Southern GOM; however, the winter difference in pelican movements did not carry over to the shared breeding grounds during summers. Therefore, exogenous factors may be the primary drivers to shape the flying patterns of migratory soaring birds.
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21
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Starkloff NC, Civitello DJ. Cascading impacts of host seasonal adaptation on parasitism. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:942-949. [PMID: 36088213 PMCID: PMC9588794 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of parasite populations through harsh seasonal bouts is often critical to circannual disease outbreaks. Parasites have a diverse repertoire of phenotypes for persistence, ranging from transitioning to a different life stage better suited to within-host dormancy to utilizing weather-hardy structures external to hosts. While these adaptive traits allow parasite species to survive through harsh seasons, it is often at survival rates that threaten population persistence. We argue that these periods of parasite (and vector) population busts could be ideal targets for disease intervention. As climate change portends abbreviated host dormancy and extended transmission periods in many host-parasite systems, it is essential to identify novel pathways to shore up current disease-intervention strategies.
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22
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King DT, Wang G, Cunningham FL. Seasonal climatic niche and migration movements of Double-crested Cormorants. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9153. [PMID: 36016816 PMCID: PMC9396706 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian migrants are challenged by seasonal adverse climatic conditions and energetic costs of long-distance flying. Migratory birds may track or switch seasonal climatic niche between the breeding and non-breeding grounds. Satellite tracking enables avian ecologists to investigate seasonal climatic niche and circannual movement patterns of migratory birds. The Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum, hereafter cormorant) wintering in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) migrates to the Northern Great Plains and Great Lakes and is of economic importance because of its impacts on aquaculture. We tested the climatic niche switching hypothesis that cormorants would switch climatic niche between summer and winter because of substantial differences in climate between the non-breeding grounds in the subtropical region and breeding grounds in the northern temperate region. The ordination analysis of climatic niche overlap indicated that cormorants had separate seasonal climatic niche consisting of seasonal mean monthly minimum and maximum temperature, seasonal mean monthly precipitation, and seasonal mean wind speed. Despite non-overlapping summer and winter climatic niches, cormorants appeared to be subjected to similar wind speed between winter and summer habitats and were consistent with similar hourly flying speed between winter and summer. Therefore, substantial differences in temperature and precipitation may lead to the climatic niche switching of fish-eating cormorants, a dietary specialist, between the breeding and non-breeding grounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Tommy King
- U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State Mississippi USA
| | - Guiming Wang
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State Mississippi USA
| | - Fred L Cunningham
- U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Mississippi State Mississippi USA
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23
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Environmental and social correlates, and energetic consequences of fitness maximisation on different migratory behaviours in a long-lived scavenger. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03223-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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24
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Birds adapted to cold conditions show greater changes in range size related to past climatic oscillations than temperate birds. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10813. [PMID: 35752649 PMCID: PMC9233688 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14972-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigation of ecological responses of species to past climate oscillations provides crucial information to understand the effects of global warming. In this work, we investigated how past climate changes affected the distribution of six bird species with different climatic requirements and migratory behaviours in the Western Palearctic and in Africa. Species Distribution Models and Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 2 fossil occurrences of selected species were employed to evaluate the relation between changes in range size and species climatic tolerances. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) range predictions, generally well supported by the MIS 2 fossil occurrences, suggest that cold-dwelling species considerably expanded their distribution in the LGM, experiencing more pronounced net changes in range size compared to temperate species. Overall, the thermal niche proves to be a key ecological trait for explaining the impact of climate change in species distributions. Thermal niche is linked to range size variations due to climatic oscillations, with cold-adapted species currently suffering a more striking range reduction compared to temperate species. This work also supports the persistence of Afro-Palearctic migrations during the LGM due to the presence of climatically suitable wintering areas in Africa even during glacial maxima.
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25
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Lambert C, Fort J. No evidence that seasonal changes in large-scale environmental conditions drive migration in seabirds. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1813-1825. [PMID: 35681266 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal variability is one of the main drivers of seasonal movements like migration. The literature has suggested that bird migration is often driven by poor environmental conditions during one season and permits avoidance of resource shortage or harsh weather by tracking the more favourable conditions. We tested at the global scale, and focusing on seabirds, whether this pattern exists in the marine realm. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that seabird migration permits achieving stability in niche occupancy, and that it is triggered by seasonal variations in niche availability. We collated data on monthly presence of species over marine ecoregions from literature and expert knowledge. First, we quantified niche occupancy during breeding and non-breeding periods from environmental conditions encountered in ecoregions in which species were present at each periods and compared seasonal dynamics across migratory strategies. Second, we quantified the seasonal niche dynamics from simulated residency in breeding and non-breeding grounds to quantify the seasonality in niche availability and to test its effect on seabird migratory strategies. We demonstrated that all seabirds are niche trackers, yet resident and dispersive seabirds displayed higher levels of niche tracking throughout the year, regardless of the environmental seasonality, while migrants exhibited more divergent seasonal niches. In most cases, migratory status was not related to the unavailability of favourable conditions at the breeding or non-breeding grounds, suggesting that the availability of the favourable niche is not the main driver of migration. We hypothesise that this unexpected pattern might arise from strong constraints imposed on seabirds by the scarcity of suitable breeding sites which constrain the range of environments available for optimising reproductive success. This work sheds new light on the ecological drivers of migration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jérôme Fort
- LIENSs UMR 7266 La Rochelle Université-CNRS, La Rochelle, France
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Auteri GG. A conceptual framework to integrate cold-survival strategies: torpor, resistance and seasonal migration. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220050. [PMID: 35506240 PMCID: PMC9065958 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Freezing temperatures are inherently challenging for life, which is water based. How species cope with these conditions fundamentally shapes ecological and evolutionary processes. Despite this, there is no comprehensive conceptual framework for cold-survival strategies-seasonal migration, cold resistance and torpor. Here, I propose a framework with four components for conceptualizing and quantifying cold-survival strategies. Cold-survival strategies are (i) collectively encompassed by the proposed framework, and that this full breadth of strategies should be considered in focal species or systems (comprehensive consideration). These strategies also (ii) exist on a spectrum, such that species can exhibit partial use of strategies, (iii) are non-exclusive, such that some species use multiple strategies concurrently (combined use) and (iv) should collectively vary inversely and proportionally with one another when controlling for the external environment (e.g. when considering species that occur in sympatry in their summer range), such that use of one strategy reduces, collectively, the use of others (proportional use). This framework is relevant to understanding fundamental patterns and processes in evolution, ecology, physiology and conservation biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia G Auteri
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Weeks B, O’Brien B, Chu JJ, Claramunt S, Sheard C, Tobias J. Morphological adaptations linked to flight efficiency and aerial lifestyle determine natal dispersal distance in birds. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B.C Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan 440 Church St Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - B.K. O’Brien
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan 440 Church St Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - J. J. Chu
- Department of Natural History Royal Ontario Museum Toronto ON M5S 2C6 Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto ON M5S 1A1 Canada
| | - S. Claramunt
- Department of Natural History Royal Ontario Museum Toronto ON M5S 2C6 Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto ON M5S 1A1 Canada
| | - C. Sheard
- School of Earth Sciences University of Bristol BS8 1TQ UK
| | - J.A. Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road Ascot SL5 7PY UK
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Franklin KA, Norris K, Gill JA, Ratcliffe N, Bonnet-Lebrun AS, Butler SJ, Cole NC, Jones CG, Lisovski S, Ruhomaun K, Tatayah V, Nicoll MAC. Individual consistency in migration strategies of a tropical seabird, the Round Island petrel. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:13. [PMID: 35287747 PMCID: PMC8919588 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00311-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In migratory species, the extent of within- and between-individual variation in migratory strategies can influence potential rates and directions of responses to environmental changes. Quantifying this variation requires tracking of many individuals on repeated migratory journeys. At temperate and higher latitudes, low levels of within-individual variation in migratory behaviours are common and may reflect repeated use of predictable resources in these seasonally-structured environments. However, variation in migratory behaviours in the tropics, where seasonal predictability of food resources can be weaker, remains largely unknown. METHODS Round Island petrels (Pterodroma sp.) are tropical, pelagic seabirds that breed all year round and perform long-distance migrations. Using multi-year geolocator tracking data from 62 individuals between 2009 and 2018, we quantify levels of within- and between-individual variation in non-breeding distributions and timings. RESULTS We found striking levels of between-individual variation in at-sea movements and timings, with non-breeding migrations to different areas occurring across much of the Indian Ocean and throughout the whole year. Despite this, repeat-tracking of individual petrels revealed remarkably high levels of spatial and temporal consistency in within-individual migratory behaviour, particularly for petrels that departed at similar times in different years and for those departing in the austral summer. However, while the same areas were used by individuals in different years, they were not necessarily used at the same times during the non-breeding period. CONCLUSIONS Even in tropical systems with huge ranges of migratory routes and timings, our results suggest benefits of consistency in individual migratory behaviours. Identifying the factors that drive and maintain between-individual variation in migratory behaviour, and the consequences for breeding success and survival, will be key to understanding the consequences of environmental change across migratory ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty A Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK.
| | - Ken Norris
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK
| | - Jennifer A Gill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Norman Ratcliffe
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Simon J Butler
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Nik C Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey, UK
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Vacoas, Mauritius
| | - Carl G Jones
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey, UK
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Vacoas, Mauritius
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kevin Ruhomaun
- National Parks and Conservation Service (Government of Mauritius), Reduit, Mauritius
| | - Vikash Tatayah
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Vacoas, Mauritius
| | - Malcolm A C Nicoll
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK
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Liu J, Lei W, Mo X, Hassell CJ, Zhang Z, Coulson T. Unravelling processes between phenotypic plasticity and population dynamics in migratory birds. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:983-995. [PMID: 35274297 PMCID: PMC9314967 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Populations can rapidly respond to environmental change via adaptive phenotypic plasticity, which can also modify interactions between individuals and their environment, affecting population dynamics. Bird migration is a highly plastic resource‐tracking tactic in seasonal environments. However, the link between the population dynamics of migratory birds and migration tactic plasticity is not well‐understood. The quality of staging habitats affects individuals' migration timing and energy budgets in the course of migration and can consequently affect individuals' breeding and overwintering performance, and impact population dynamics. Given staging habitats being lost in many parts of the world, our goal is to investigate responses of individual migration tactics and population dynamics in the face of loss of staging habitat and to identify the key processes connecting them. We started by constructing and analysing a general full‐annual‐cycle individual‐based model with a stylized migratory population to generate hypotheses on how changes in the size of staging habitat might drive changes in individual stopover duration and population dynamics. Next, through the interrogation of survey data, we tested these hypotheses by analysing population trends and stopover duration of migratory waterbirds experiencing the loss of staging habitat. Our modelling exercise led to us posing the following hypotheses: the loss of staging habitat generates plasticity in migration tactics, with individuals remaining on the staging habitat for longer to obtain food due to a reduction in per capita food availability. The subsequent increasing population density on the staging habitat has knock‐on effects on population dynamics in the breeding and overwintering stage. Our empirical results were consistent with the modelling predictions. Our results demonstrate how environmental change that impacts one energetically costly life‐history stage in migratory birds can have population dynamic impacts across the entire annual cycle via phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Weipan Lei
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xunqiang Mo
- School of Geographic and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | | | - Zhengwang Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tim Coulson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Nadal J, Sáez D, Margalida A. Crossing artificial obstacles during migration: The relative global ecological risks and interdependencies illustrated by the migration of common quail Coturnix coturnix. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:152173. [PMID: 34875331 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The increase of urban expansion, whereby soils become altered or filled with buildings through human action, presents a global threat to biodiversity and the spread of disease. Many of the factors determining bird migration routes and disease spread are poorly understood. We studied the migration routes of common quail Coturnix coturnix in western Europe. We examined the recoveries of ringed birds to characterize their migration trajectories to understand how this nocturnal migrant crosses artificial areas and predict the risk of migration collapse and disease transmission. We evaluated the possible consequences of quail collisions with human infrastructure elements (i.e., buildings, cranes, overhead cables and wires, and wind farm structures) to assess disease transmission in relation to the amount of urban soil. Our results show that variations in the amount of artificialized soil in central Europe are correlated with the relative absence of quail migratory routes. Conceptual models incorporating environmental ecology showed the relationships between climate warming, agroecosystems, and urban ecosystems as well as human health and economic growth. We predict a drastic loss of biodiversity and spread of disease if we do not curb the spread of land consumption. Taking a broad view of the interrelations discussed here allows predictions of global vulnerability and increased risks to health due to losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Lessons drawn from migration route maps of quail in relation to the distribution of urbanized soils provide tools for global conservation political decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Nadal
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
| | - David Sáez
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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32
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Patchett R, Styles P, Robins King J, Kirschel ANG, Cresswell W. The potential function of post-fledging dispersal behavior in first breeding territory selection for males of a migratory bird. Curr Zool 2022; 68:708-715. [PMID: 36743231 PMCID: PMC9892789 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
One possible hypothesis for the function of post-fledging dispersal is to locate a suitable future breeding area. This post-fledging period may be particularly important in migratory species because they have a limited period to gather information prior to autumn migration, and in protandrous species, males must quickly acquire a territory after returning from spring migration to maximize their fitness. Here we use color-ring resightings to investigate how the post-fledging dispersal movements of the Cyprus wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca, a small migratory passerine, relate to their first breeding territory the following year when they return from migration. We found that males established first breeding territories that were significantly closer to their post-fledging location than to their natal sites or to post-fledging locations of other conspecifics, but these patterns were not apparent in females. Our findings suggest that familiarity with potential breeding sites may be important for juveniles of migratory species, particularly for the sex that acquires and advertises breeding territories. Exploratory dispersal prior to a migrant's first autumn migration may contribute toward its breeding success the following year, further highlighting the importance of early seasonal breeding on fitness and population dynamics more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Styles
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Joanna Robins King
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
| | | | - Will Cresswell
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
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How migratory birds might have tracked past climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2121738119. [PMID: 35012989 PMCID: PMC8784094 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121738119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Campo‐Celada M, Jordano P, Benítez‐López A, Gutiérrez‐Expósito C, Rabadán‐González J, Mendoza I. Assessing short and long‐term variations in diversity, timing and body condition of frugivorous birds. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Campo‐Celada
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
- Dept of Plant Biology and Ecology, Univ. de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Ana Benítez‐López
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
| | - Carlos Gutiérrez‐Expósito
- tier3 Solutions GmbH Leverkusen Germany
- Conservation Biology Dept, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Isla de la Cartuja Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Irene Mendoza
- Dept of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
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35
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Wu L, Jiao X, Zhang D, Cheng Y, Song G, Qu Y, Lei F. Comparative Genomics and Evolution of Avian Specialized Traits. Curr Genomics 2021; 22:496-511. [PMID: 35386431 PMCID: PMC8905638 DOI: 10.2174/1389202923666211227143952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic data are important for understanding the origin and evolution of traits. Under the context of rapidly developing of sequencing technologies and more widely available genome sequences, researchers are able to study evolutionary mechanisms of traits via comparative genomic methods. Compared with other vertebrates, bird genomes are relatively small and exhibit conserved synteny with few repetitive elements, which makes them suitable for evolutionary studies. Increasing genomic progress has been reported on the evolution of powered flight, body size variation, beak morphology, plumage colouration, high-elevation colonization, migration, and vocalization. By summarizing previous studies, we demonstrate the genetic bases of trait evolution, highlighting the roles of small-scale sequence variation, genomic structural variation, and changes in gene interaction networks. We suggest that future studies should focus on improving the quality of reference genomes, exploring the evolution of regulatory elements and networks, and combining genomic data with morphological, ecological, behavioural, and developmental biology data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaolu Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Dezhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yalin Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Gang Song
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanhua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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36
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Population specific annual cycles and migration strategies in a leap-frog migrant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03116-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A common migratory pattern in birds is that northerly breeding populations migrate to more southerly non-breeding sites compared to southerly breeding populations (leap-frog migration). Not only do populations experience differences in migration distances, but also different environmental conditions, which may vary spatiotemporally within their annual cycles, creating distinctive selective pressures and migratory strategies. Information about such adaptations is important to understand migratory drivers and evolution of migration patterns. We use light-level geolocators and citizen science data on regional spring arrivals to compare two populations of common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula breeding at different latitudes. We (1) describe and characterize the annual cycles and (2) test predictions regarding speed and timing of migration. The northern breeding population (NBP) wintered in Africa and the southern (SBP) mainly in Europe. The annual cycles were shifted temporally so that the NBP was always later in all stages. The SBP spent more than twice as long time in the breeding area, but there was no difference in winter. The NBP spent more time on migration in general. Spring migration speed was lower in the SBP compared to autumn speed of both populations, and there was no difference in autumn and spring speed in the NBP. We also found a larger variation in spring arrival times across years in the SBP. This suggests that a complex interaction of population specific timing and variation of breeding onset, length of breeding season, and proximity to the breeding area shape the annual cycle and migratory strategies.
Significance statement
Migration distance, climate, and the resulting composition of the annual cycle are expected to influence migration strategies and timing in birds. Testing theories regarding migration behaviours are challenging, and intraspecific comparisons over the full annual cycle are still rare. Here we compare the spatiotemporal distributions of two latitudinally separated populations of common ringed plovers using light-level geolocators. We found that there was a larger long-term variation in first arrival dates and that migration speed was slower only in spring in a temperate, short-distance migratory population, compared to an Arctic, long-distance migratory population. This suggests that a complex interaction of population specific timing and variation of breeding onset, length of breeding season and proximity to the breeding area shape the annual cycle and migratory behaviours.
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Yanco SW, Linkhart BD, Marra PP, Mika M, Ciaglo M, Carver A, Wunder MB. Niche dynamics suggest ecological factors influencing migration in an insectivorous owl. Ecology 2021; 103:e3617. [PMID: 34923636 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal migration is a widespread phenomenon undertaken by myriad organisms, including birds. Competing hypotheses about ultimate drivers of seasonal migration in birds contrast relative resource abundances at high latitudes ("southern home hypothesis") against avoidance of winter resource scarcity ("dispersal-migration hypothesis"). However, direct tests of these competing hypotheses have been rare and heretofore limited to historical biogeographic reconstructions. Here we derive novel predictions about the dynamics of individual niches from each hypothesis and provide a framework for evaluating support for these competing hypotheses using contemporary environmental and behavioral data. Using flammulated owls (Psiloscops flammeolus) as a model, we characterized year-round occupied niche dynamics using high resolution GPS tracking and remote-sensed environmental data. We also compared occupied niche dynamics to counterfactual niches using simulated alternative non-migratory strategies. Owls' occupied mean niche was conserved between seasons whereas niche variance was generally higher during migratory periods. Simulated year-round residents in Mexico would have experienced putatively more productive niches than migrants. These findings provide ecological support for the "dispersal-migration" hypothesis wherein winter resource scarcity is the primary driver of migration rather than summer resource abundances. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Yanco
- Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Brian D Linkhart
- Dept. of Organismal Biology and Ecology, Colorado College, Colorado Spring, Colorado, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- Dept. of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Markus Mika
- Dept. of Biology, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Max Ciaglo
- 811 Rock Rose Court, Louisville, Colorado, USA
| | - Amber Carver
- Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael B Wunder
- Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
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Fjeldså J, Bowie RCK. Evolutionary and Ecological Explanations for the Elevational Flexibility of Several East African Bird Species Complexes. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.768062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Africa’s montane areas are broken up into several large and small units, each isolated as forest-capped “sky islands” in a “sea” of dry lowland savanna. Many elements of their biota, including montane forest birds, are shared across several disjunct mountains, yet it has been difficult to rigorously define an Afromontane forest avifauna, or determine its evolutionary relationships with the birds of the surrounding lowland forests. In order to trace the historical relationship between lowland and highland avifaunas, we review cases of species or groups of closely related species with breeding populations at different elevations, and use phylogeographic methods to explore the historical connections between such populations within the biodiversity hotspot of East Africa. The study reveals several idiosyncratic patterns, but also a prominent number of cases of gene flow between populations in southern areas, mainly around the Malawi Rift, and mountains and coastal forests to the north, close to the equator. This may reflect more continuous past distributions through northern Mozambique and coastal Tanzania, or seasonal migrations between areas with different rainfall regimes. Over time, these distributional dynamics have resulted in a higher persistence of lineages, and an accumulation of forest-dependent lineages within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and the northern part of the coastal forest mosaic.
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Verhoeven MA, Loonstra AHJ, McBride AD, Kaspersma W, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Both C, Senner NR, Piersma T. Age-dependent timing and routes demonstrate developmental plasticity in a long-distance migratory bird. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:566-579. [PMID: 34822170 PMCID: PMC9299929 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Longitudinal tracking studies have revealed consistent differences in the migration patterns of individuals from the same populations. The sources or processes causing this individual variation are largely unresolved. As a result, it is mostly unknown how much, how fast and when animals can adjust their migrations to changing environments. We studied the ontogeny of migration in a long‐distance migratory shorebird, the black‐tailed godwit Limosa limosa limosa, a species known to exhibit marked individuality in the migratory routines of adults. By observing how and when these individual differences arise, we aimed to elucidate whether individual differences in migratory behaviour are inherited or emerge as a result of developmental plasticity. We simultaneously tracked juvenile and adult godwits from the same breeding area on their south‐ and northward migrations. To determine how and when individual differences begin to arise, we related juvenile migration routes, timing and mortality rates to hatch date and hatch year. Then, we compared adult and juvenile migration patterns to identify potential age‐dependent differences. In juveniles, the timing of their first southward departure was related to hatch date. However, their subsequent migration routes, orientation, destination, migratory duration and likelihood of mortality were unrelated to the year or timing of migration, or their sex. Juveniles left the Netherlands after all tracked adults. They then flew non‐stop to West Africa more often and incurred higher mortality rates than adults. Some juveniles also took routes and visited stopover sites far outside the well‐documented adult migratory corridor. Such juveniles, however, were not more likely to die. We found that juveniles exhibited different migratory patterns than adults, but no evidence that these behaviours are under natural selection. We thus eliminate the possibility that the individual differences observed among adult godwits are present at hatch or during their first migration. This adds to the mounting evidence that animals possess the developmental plasticity to change their migration later in life in response to environmental conditions as those conditions are experienced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - A H Jelle Loonstra
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alice D McBride
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wiebe Kaspersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos C E W Hooijmeijer
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
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40
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Fudickar AM, Jahn AE, Ketterson ED. Animal Migration: An Overview of One of Nature's Great Spectacles. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012021-031035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The twenty-first century has witnessed an explosion in research on animal migration, in large part due to a technological revolution in tracking and remote-sensing technologies, along with advances in genomics and integrative biology. We now have access to unprecedented amounts of data on when, where, and how animals migrate across various continents and oceans. Among the important advancements, recent studies have uncovered a surprising level of variation in migratory trajectories at the species and population levels with implications for both speciation and the conservation of migratory populations. At the organismal level, studies linking molecular and physiological mechanisms to traits that support migration have revealed a remarkable amount of seasonal flexibility in many migratory animals. Advancements in the theory for why animals migrate have resulted in promising new directions for empirical studies. We provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and promising future avenues of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fudickar
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA;, ,
| | - Alex E. Jahn
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA;, ,
| | - Ellen D. Ketterson
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA;, ,
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
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41
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Bangley CW, Edwards ML, Mueller C, Fisher RA, Aguilar R, Heggie K, Richie K, Ahr BJ, Ogburn MB. Environmental associations of cownose ray (
Rhinoptera bonasus
) seasonal presence along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Charles W. Bangley
- Fisheries Conservation Laboratory Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
- Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia B3H 4R3 Canada
| | - Michelle L. Edwards
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Florida Atlantic University 5600 US 1 North Fort Pierce Florida 34946 USA
| | - Claire Mueller
- Movement of Life Initiative Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 1500 Remount Road Front Royal Virginia 22630 USA
| | - Robert A. Fisher
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science 1370 Greate Road Gloucester Point Virginia 23062 USA
| | - Robert Aguilar
- Fisheries Conservation Laboratory Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| | - Keira Heggie
- Fisheries Conservation Laboratory Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| | - Kimberly Richie
- Fisheries Conservation Laboratory Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| | - Bonnie J. Ahr
- Herndon Solutions Group, LLC NASA Environmental and Medical Contract Kennedy Space Center Mail Code: NEM‐022 Merritt Island Florida 32899 USA
| | - Matthew B. Ogburn
- Fisheries Conservation Laboratory Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
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42
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Claramunt S. Flight efficiency explains differences in natal dispersal distances in birds. Ecology 2021; 102:e03442. [PMID: 34143422 PMCID: PMC8459243 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The factors responsible for variation in dispersal distances across species remain poorly understood. Previous comparative studies found differing results and equivocal support for theoretical predictions. Here I re-examine factors that influence natal dispersal distances in British birds while taking into account the cost of transport as estimated from proxies of long-distance flight efficiency. First, I show that flight efficiency, as estimated by the hand-wing index, the aspect ratio, or the lift-to-drag ratio, is a strong predictor of dispersal distances among resident species. Most migratory species showed a similar pattern, but a group of species with relatively low aerodynamic efficiency showed longer-than-expected dispersal distances, making the overall trend independent of flight efficiency. Ecological, behavioral, and life history factors had a small or nil influence on dispersal distances, with most of their influence likely mediated by adaptations for the use of space reflected in flight efficiency. This suggests that dispersal distances in birds are not determined by adaptive strategies for dispersal per se, but are predominantly influenced by the energetic cost of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Claramunt
- Department of Natural HistoryRoyal Ontario Museum100 Queen’s ParkTorontoOntarioM5S 2C6Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Toronto25 Willcocks StreetTorontoOntarioM5S 3B2Canada
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43
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Lalejini A, Ferguson AJ, Grant NA, Ofria C. Adaptive Phenotypic Plasticity Stabilizes Evolution in Fluctuating Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.715381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuating environmental conditions are ubiquitous in natural systems, and populations have evolved various strategies to cope with such fluctuations. The particular mechanisms that evolve profoundly influence subsequent evolutionary dynamics. One such mechanism is phenotypic plasticity, which is the ability of a single genotype to produce alternate phenotypes in an environmentally dependent context. Here, we use digital organisms (self-replicating computer programs) to investigate how adaptive phenotypic plasticity alters evolutionary dynamics and influences evolutionary outcomes in cyclically changing environments. Specifically, we examined the evolutionary histories of both plastic populations and non-plastic populations to ask: (1) Does adaptive plasticity promote or constrain evolutionary change? (2) Are plastic populations better able to evolve and then maintain novel traits? And (3), how does adaptive plasticity affect the potential for maladaptive alleles to accumulate in evolving genomes? We find that populations with adaptive phenotypic plasticity undergo less evolutionary change than non-plastic populations, which must rely on genetic variation from de novo mutations to continuously readapt to environmental fluctuations. Indeed, the non-plastic populations undergo more frequent selective sweeps and accumulate many more genetic changes. We find that the repeated selective sweeps in non-plastic populations drive the loss of beneficial traits and accumulation of maladaptive alleles, whereas phenotypic plasticity can stabilize populations against environmental fluctuations. This stabilization allows plastic populations to more easily retain novel adaptive traits than their non-plastic counterparts. In general, the evolution of adaptive phenotypic plasticity shifted evolutionary dynamics to be more similar to that of populations evolving in a static environment than to non-plastic populations evolving in an identical fluctuating environment. All natural environments subject populations to some form of change; our findings suggest that the stabilizing effect of phenotypic plasticity plays an important role in subsequent adaptive evolution.
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44
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Migratory strategy drives species-level variation in bird sensitivity to vegetation green-up. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:987-994. [PMID: 33927370 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01442-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Animals and plants are shifting the timing of key life events in response to climate change, yet despite recent documentation of escalating phenological change, scientists lack a full understanding of how and why phenological responses vary across space and among species. Here, we used over 7 million community-contributed bird observations to derive species-specific, spatially explicit estimates of annual spring migration phenology for 56 bird species across eastern North America. We show that changes in the spring arrival of migratory birds are coarsely synchronized with fluctuations in vegetation green-up and that the sensitivity of birds to plant phenology varied extensively. Bird arrival responded more synchronously with vegetation green-up at higher latitudes, where phenological shifts over time are also greater. Critically, species' migratory traits explained variation in sensitivity to green-up, with species that migrate more slowly, arrive earlier and overwinter further north showing greater responsiveness to earlier springs. Identifying how and why species vary in their ability to shift phenological events is fundamental to predicting species' vulnerability to climate change. Such variation in sensitivity across taxa, with long-distance neotropical migrants exhibiting reduced synchrony, may help to explain substantial declines in these species over the last several decades.
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45
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Somveille M, Bay RA, Smith TB, Marra PP, Ruegg KC. A general theory of avian migratory connectivity. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1848-1858. [PMID: 34173311 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Birds exhibit a remarkable array of seasonal migrations. Despite much research describing migratory behaviour, the underlying forces driving how a species' breeding and wintering populations redistribute each year, that is, migratory connectivity, remain largely unknown. Here, we test the hypothesis that birds migrate in a way that minimises energy expenditure while considering intraspecific competition for energy acquisition, by developing a modelling framework that simulates an optimal redistribution of individuals between breeding and wintering areas. Using 25 species across the Americas, we find that the model accurately predicts empirical migration patterns, and thus offers a general explanation for migratory connectivity based on first ecological and energetic principles. Our model provides a strong basis for exploring additional processes underlying the ecology and evolution of migration, but also a framework for predicting how migration impacts local adaptation across seasons and how environmental change may affect population dynamics in migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Somveille
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael A Bay
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, DC, USA
| | - Kristen C Ruegg
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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46
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Aoki D, Sakamoto H, Kitazawa M, Kryukov AP, Takagi M. Migration-tracking integrated phylogeography supports long-distance dispersal-driven divergence for a migratory bird species in the Japanese archipelago. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6066-6079. [PMID: 34141203 PMCID: PMC8207368 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-distance dispersal (LDD) outside a species' breeding range contributes to genetic divergence. Previous phylogeographic studies of migratory bird species have not discriminated LDD from vicariant speciation in their diversification process. We conducted an integrative phylogeographic approach to test the LDD hypothesis, which predicts that a Japanese migratory bird subspecies diverged from a population in the coastal region of the East China Sea (CRECS) via LDD over the East China Sea (ECS). Haplotype networks of both mitochondrial and nuclear genes of its three subspecies were reconstructed to examine whether the Japanese subspecies of the Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus superciliosus) diverged from an ancestral CRECS population. A species distribution model (SDM) for the Japanese subspecies was constructed using bioclimatic variables under the maximum entropy algorithm. It was projected backwards to the climate of the last glacial maximum (LGM) to infer the candidate source area of colonization. A migratory route of L. c. superciliosus, which possibly reflects a candidate past colonization route, was tracked by light-level geolocators. Molecular phylogenetic networks suggest that the Japanese subspecies diverged from a population in the CRECS and maintained anciently diverged haplotypes. The SDM inferred that the emerged continental shelf of the ECS and the present CRECS were suitable breeding areas for the Japanese subspecies during the LGM. A major migratory route for L. c. superciliosus was inferred between the CRECS and the Japanese archipelago across the ECS. Our integrative approach supported the LDD hypothesis for divergence of the Japanese subspecies of the Brown Shrike. Shrinkage of the ECS may have been responsible for successful population establishment, due to a sufficient number of migrants overshooting to the Japanese archipelago from the CRECS. Our framework provides a new phylogeographic scenario for this region. Discriminating LDD and vicariance models helps improve our understanding of the phylogeographic histories of migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Aoki
- Department of Natural History SciencesGraduate School of ScienceHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Haruna Sakamoto
- Department of Natural History SciencesGraduate School of ScienceHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Munehiro Kitazawa
- Frontiers in Environmental SciencesGraduate School of AgricultureHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - Alexey P. Kryukov
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Zoology and GeneticsFederal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial BiodiversityFar Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of SciencesVladivostokRussia
| | - Masaoki Takagi
- Department of Natural History SciencesFaculty of ScienceHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
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47
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Grzywacz B, Skórka P. Genome size versus geographic range size in birds. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10868. [PMID: 33614292 PMCID: PMC7881720 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Why do some species occur in small, restricted areas, while others are distributed globally? Environmental heterogeneity increases with area and so does the number of species. Hence, diverse biotic and abiotic conditions across large ranges may lead to specific adaptations that are often linked to a species' genome size and chromosome number. Therefore, a positive association between genome size and geographic range is anticipated. Moreover, high cognitive ability in organisms would be favored by natural selection to cope with the dynamic conditions within large geographic ranges. Here, we tested these hypotheses in birds-the most mobile terrestrial vertebrates-and accounted for the effects of various confounding variables, such as body mass, relative brain mass, and geographic latitude. Using phylogenetic generalized least squares and phylogenetic confirmatory path analysis, we demonstrated that range size is positively associated with bird genome size but probably not with chromosome number. Moreover, relative brain mass had no effect on range size, whereas body mass had a possible weak and negative effect, and range size was larger at higher geographic latitudes. However, our models did not fully explain the overall variation in range size. Hence, natural selection may impose larger genomes in birds with larger geographic ranges, although there may be additional explanations for this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Grzywacz
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Skórka
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
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48
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Bay RA, Karp DS, Saracco JF, Anderegg WRL, Frishkoff LO, Wiedenfeld D, Smith TB, Ruegg K. Genetic variation reveals individual-level climate tracking across the annual cycle of a migratory bird. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:819-828. [PMID: 33594778 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
For migratory species, seasonal movements complicate local climate adaptation, as it is unclear whether individuals track climate niches across the annual cycle. In the migratory songbird yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia), we find a correlation between individual-level wintering and breeding precipitation, but not temperature. Birds wintering in the driest regions of the Neotropics breed in the driest regions of North America. Individuals from drier regions also possess distinct morphologies and population responses to varying rainfall. We find a positive association between bill size and breeding season precipitation which, given documented climate-associated genomic variation, might reflect adaptation to local precipitation regimes. Relative abundance in the breeding range is linked to interannual fluctuations in precipitation, but the directionality of this response varies across geography. Together, our results suggest that variation in climate optima may exist across the breeding range of yellow warblers and provide a mechanism for selection across the annual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael A Bay
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - James F Saracco
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Petaluma, CA, 94952, USA
| | - William R L Anderegg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Luke O Frishkoff
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | | | - Thomas B Smith
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - Kristen Ruegg
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CA, 80523, USA
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49
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Méndez V, Gill JA, Þórisson B, Vignisson SR, Gunnarsson TG, Alves JA. Paternal effects in the initiation of migratory behaviour in birds. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2782. [PMID: 33531548 PMCID: PMC7854704 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81274-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
What determines why some birds migrate and others do not? This question is fundamental to understanding how migratory systems are responding to environmental changes, but the causes of individual migratory behaviours have proven difficult to isolate. We show that, in a partially migratory population of Eurasian oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), the migratory behaviour of progeny follows paternal but not maternal behaviour, and is unrelated to timing of hatching or fledging. These findings highlight the key role of social interactions in shaping the migratory behaviour of new generations, and thus the spatio-temporal distribution of migratory populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Méndez
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, 840, Iceland.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - J A Gill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - B Þórisson
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, 840, Iceland
| | - S R Vignisson
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, 840, Iceland
- Sudurnes Science and Learning Center, Sandgerði, 245, Iceland
| | - T G Gunnarsson
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, 840, Iceland
| | - J A Alves
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, 840, Iceland
- Department of Biology and CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3910-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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50
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Resano-Mayor J, Bettega C, Delgado MDM, Fernández-Martín Á, Hernández-Gómez S, Toranzo I, España A, de Gabriel M, Roa-Álvarez I, Gil JA, Strinella E, Hobson KA, Arlettaz R. Partial migration of White-winged snowfinches is correlated with winter weather conditions. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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